Collaborative Research: Geological and Paleoecological Context of Primate Evolution on Rusinga and Mfangano Islands, Kenya

肯尼亚鲁辛加岛和姆夫万加诺岛上的化石沉积是了解最早的类人猿起源和多样性的最丰富的信息来源之一。Ruinga/Mfwangano遗址以原始的猿类领事和卡他灵长类动物Dendropithecus、Nyanzapithecus和Limnopithecus而闻名，还保存了丰富的哺乳动物、爬行动物、鸟类和无脊椎动物化石，以及罕见的化石元素，如树叶、种子、水果和昆虫。因此，不仅可以重建这些灵长类动物的解剖结构，还可以重建它们的年代学背景、它们摄食生态的各个方面、栖息地偏好以及它们茁壮成长的更广泛的生态群落。该项目将对Rusinga/Mfangano进行新的研究，以进一步加深我们对茎、卡他犀类和类人的年代学和古生态的了解。具体目标是：1)在Ruinga和Mfangano的灵长类化石遗址内和之间建立地层和年代学控制；2)重建整个地质序列的古环境条件，以评估这些灵长类动物生活的生态参数。工作将在三个夏季进行，包括基本地层分析、绝对和相对年代测定、受控化石收集、稳定同位素分析、现有动物群收集的修订以及牙齿微磨损分析。该项目的学术价值在于结合了地质学、古生物学和古生态学的方法，通过开发高分辨率的年代地层数据和鲁辛加和姆芬加诺卡他灵长类灵长类动物的详细古生态模型，大大提高了我们对类人猿进化和适应的了解。该项目还在促进地方一级的教育和合作、促进地方参与保护化石遗产、雇用当地和国家工人、教育本科生和研究生以及促进国际和跨学科合作方面产生了相当广泛的影响。

Fossil deposits on the Kenyan islands of Rusinga and Mfwangano comprise one of the richest sources of information for understanding the origin and diversification of the earliest apes. Best known for the primitive ape Proconsul and catarrhine primates Dendropithecus, Nyanzapithecus, and Limnopithecus, Rusinga/Mfwangano sites also preserve copious mammal, reptile, bird, and invertebrate fossils, as well as rarely seen fossil elements such as leaves, seeds, fruits, and insects. Thus, it becomes possible to reconstruct not just the anatomy of these primates, but also their chronological context, aspects of their feeding ecology, habitat preferences, and the broader ecological community in which they thrived. This project will undertake new research on Rusinga/Mfangano to further our knowledge of the chronology and paleoecology of stem catarrhines and hominoids. Specific objectives are to: 1) establish stratigraphic and chronological control within and among primate fossil sites on Rusinga and Mfangano; and 2) reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions throughout the geological sequence to assess the ecological parameters in which these primates lived. Work will be carried out over three summers and include basic stratigraphic analysis, absolute and relative dating, controlled fossil collection, analyses of stable isotopes, revisions of existing faunal collections, and dental microwear analysis. The intellectual merit of this project lies in combining geological, paleontological, and paleoecological methodologies to substantially advance our knowledge of hominoid evolution and adaptation through development of high-resolution chronostratigraphic data and detailed paleoecological models for Rusinga and Mfangano catarrhine primates. This project also has considerable broader impact in promoting education and cooperation at the local level, advancing local involvement in the preservation of the fossil heritage, employing local and national Kenyan workers, educating undergraduate and graduate students, and promoting international and interdisciplinary collaborations.